The invention relates to a top framework of a folding top for vehicles of the type which comprises a trapezoidal main bow which can pivot about a horizontally extending vehicle transverse axis. Lateral roof frames extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction at both lateral sides of the main bow. A front roof frame interconnects the lateral roof frames such that they can be deflected transversely outward during top folding operations. Further framework members couple the lateral roof frames to the main bow in such a way that during shifting of the upright main bow the lateral roof frames are forcibly controlled into a stowage position adjacent to and substantially parallel to obliquely inclined struts sections of lateral struts of the main bow as viewed both in the vehicle transverse plane and in the vehicle longitudinal plane.
Such a top framework is described in German Patent Specification 3,405,920, which concerns an embodiment with two-piece lateral roof frames which can for their part be folded onto each other during the course of the lowering movement of the folding top The trapezoidal main bow of this top framework is in this case designed such that, with main bow upright, its lateral struts lay in the plane of the front side windows of the convertible, since they secure the textile covering behind the rear edges of the side windows.
In order not to confine unnecessarily the seating width in the rear seat area of the convertible by the lateral roof frames swivelled into the transverse plane of the main bow, the roof frames can be swivelled outwards into an associated compartment for the top during the course of the folding-in movement of the folding top, so that they are laid down directly alongside or on top of the assigned struts when the top is fully folded back.
However, the seating width on the rear seat bench is also confined to a slight ex tent by the main bow being of trapezoidal design. Due to the material retaining function of the struts, the extent of this seating width confinement depends directly on the lateral inclination of the side windows, so that with exactly vertically extending side windows there would be no seating width confinement whereas with an increasing angle of inclination with respect to the vertical direction of extent of the side window the fully available seating width also decreases to the same degree.
Furthermore, a folding top for vehicles in which the struts of the main bow themselves only indirectly secure the material of the top behind the side windows is known from German Patent Specification 3,523,433. For direct securing of the material of the top, there is mounted on each of both sides of the main bow a material retaining rail on the assigned strut, which rail can be swivelled out of an outwardly deflected stretching position, in which it predetermines the lateral inClination of the textile covering when the folding top is closed, into a swung-in folded position, in which it runs parallel or virtually parallel to the assigned strut.
The width reduction of the folding top associated with the folding-in of the material retaining rails makes it possible to lower said top into a trapezoidal compartment for the top which is integrated into a tapered vehicle rear end.
However, the width reduction of the folding top does not benefit the seating width in the rear seat area since the lateral extensions of the compartment for the top have to be dimensioned wide enough for the lateral roof frames, mounted around a horizontal vehicle transverse axis, to be capable of being swung into this compartment as well.
An object of the invention is to further develop a folding top of the type mentioned above for vehicles to the effect that the passenger compartment width of the vehicle is affected as little as possible by the area taken up by the folded-back folding top.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing an arrangement wherein the inclined struts of the main bow extend with an inward offset with respect to the lateral contour of the vehicle and clearly more steeply, and wherein on the outside of the strut sections there is arranged on both sides of the vehicle a respective roof skin retaining rail which can be transferred from a roof skin stretching position lying essentially flush with a surface plane of the side wall into a folding position moved closer to the assigned strut section. Due to the clearly steeper course of the inclined strut sections in relation to the lateral inclination of the side windows, a better approximation of the trapezoidal main bow to the rectangular shape of the same, to be aimed for due to the complete constancy of width, is produced.
Since the roof skin retaining rails can be folded in, seen in the vehicle transverse plane of the main bow, out of an outwardly spread-apart stretching position into a position in contact with the assigned strut section, whereas the lateral roof frames can be swung out during the course of the folding-back operation of the top framework into an approximately parallel position next to the inclined strut sections, when the main bow is shifted completely over, a compact cluster of all side wall framework parts on both sides of the vehicle is produced, which in each case only takes up a minimal design width.
Since, in addition, the direction of extent of these clusters follows that of the steeply running strut sections, only very little passenger compartment width is lost by the folded-back top.
A further advantage of this design is to be seen in that the necessary transverse deflection of the lateral roof frames is greatly reduced, since the envisaged axial direction for the lateral roof frame articulation can no longer run approximately perpendicular to the lateral inclination of the side windows but approximately perpendicular to the direction of extent of the assigned strut sections. This results in an increase in the smoothness of the action of the top framework during folding back and at the same time makes possible a simplification of the connections between the lateral roof frames and the roof cap, which now only has to permit a clearly smaller transverse deflection.
If the length necessary in terms of design of the lateral roof frames is not clearly greater than the length of the struts of the top, the roof frames may each be designed as a continuous bar profile, providing a greater transverse stability of the lateral roof frames together with a simplification of the seal in the connection region to the upper edge of the side windows. However, a precondition for this design is a turning-over control for the combination of lateral roof frames and front roof frames which can however, be performed forcibly by means of a rod transmission constructed in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.